


Soaring

by Fandoms_Ruin_Life



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Adorable Isaac Lahey, Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Derek Hale is a Softie, Derek Hale regrets his past actions, Derek Hale-centric, Everyone else is over it but now he has to forgive himself, Fluff, Gen, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Isaac Lahey Needs a Hug, Isaac Lahey gets a hug, Isaac is asleep through most of this and yet is still somehow the main character, Isaac-centric, Kinda, Maybe pre-pack mon, POV Outsider, Pack Mom Stiles Stilinski, Protective Stiles Stilinski, Someone takes care of Isaac for once, Stiles Stilinski-centric, This is Isaac we're talking about, This is super self-indulgent, Wordcount: 1.000-5.000, i don't know how to tag this one, ish, only a lil bit tho, probably
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-12
Updated: 2021-02-12
Packaged: 2021-03-12 07:55:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,445
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29381703
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fandoms_Ruin_Life/pseuds/Fandoms_Ruin_Life
Summary: Stiles looks in upon the relationship between Isaac and Derek and learns more about the pair’s shaky past in the process
Relationships: Derek Hale & Isaac Lahey, Derek Hale & Stiles Stilinski, Isaac Lahey & Stiles Stilinski
Kudos: 53





	Soaring

**Author's Note:**

> this is full of clichés and bad characterisation but I don't care. I just wanted to write something short and soft because this duo deserved better and Isaac deserved someone taking care of him for once.
> 
> I don’t know when this is set, so this is just gonna be in magic fanfiction world where everything is calm and no one is dead. 
> 
> Also, cause I’m trash, you could probably look at this as pre-sterek and/or pre-scisaac at times. I didn’t mean to, but it kinda keeps creeping in there if you wear shipping goggles,,, whoops. 
> 
> Though I guess that’s just canon soo…

_It was kind of cute_ , Stiles thought as he watched Isaac and Derek out of the corner of his eye. 

The pack had come over to the loft for a movie night and as such he had front row seats to the domestic bliss that encompassed the pair of them. They didn't realise it, of course. Both were way too emotionally stunted for _that_. 

But when watching them, it was clear that Derek had definitely settled into the act of the fond, yet ever-suffering, big brother. And Isaac, for his part, filled the annoying, yet adorable, little brother role well. 

They had a sense of ease to their relationship that Scott had never gained with Derek, despite knowing the older man longer. A sense of ease that could only really come from spending an inordinate amount of time with the other.

The two were currently in the kitchen fetching snacks whilst they- and the rest of the group- waited for Lydia to arrive. She always made a point of being fashionably late, something which used to annoy them but now worked to their advantage. After all, if she wasn't there when the movie got chosen, the chance of being manipulated into watching ‘The Notebook’ again lessened greatly.

As it stood, they were probably going to end up watching some mindless action movie if Erica managed to get her way. Stiles wasn’t a huge fan of those either, but at least they tended to be more engaging. 

It probably wouldn’t stand a chance against the ‘action’ he was watching unfold in front of him though. Even though they had simply been tasked with the goal of finding food, what with being the ones who actually lived here and all, it had somehow evolved into a semi-food fight. 

That had been what had grabbed Stiles’ attention in the first place. Isaac had never been very good with things being thrown at him when off the Lacrosse Field, and yet here he was, not even flinching when Derek threw a substantial bag of chips straight at his face. 

He _also_ didn’t hesitate to throw a bag of popcorn straight back, and Stiles stifled the laughter that threatened to be released when it hit Derek straight on his forehead. After all, it wouldn’t do to startle them, and as a result, lose a free show. 

But as with everything, all good things must come to an end and Erica’s victorious cheer heralded her victory over Allison for who got to choose the movie. And with it, the pair in the kitchen walked in, arms laden with food and acting as if nothing had happened.

All they had to do now was wait for Lydia, but now that Stiles’ entertainment was cut off, the wait seemed much more tedious than it had prior. But still, Stiles thought as he sat back in his seat to wait for her arrival, at least he had something to think about now. 

He had just seen a different side to the both of them, and he wasn’t about to let it go anytime soon.

* * *

They were halfway through the movie before Stiles happened to glance at the pair again. 

By this point, Isaac was blinking in and out of sleep with Derek watching on in amusement, a small smirk appearing every time the younger's head jerked. This continued for a couple of minutes, and Stiles was just about to take pity on Isaac and pull him down onto him when Derek finally came to the rescue. 

Without saying anything, and a sigh of annoyance that was so clearly fake it was almost sad, Derek put an arm around Isaac's shoulders and dragged him down to rest upon his chest. Isaac startled a little, but was clearly too tired to protest such public affection as he let the manhandling happen without complaint. 

Stiles glanced around to see if anyone else had noticed what was happening, but upon seeing no reactions he turned his attention back towards the duo- eyebrows raising in shock when Isaac snuggled closer and Derek just allowed it with a soft smile. Sure, he had seen their playful roughhousing in the kitchen earlier, but this was on a whole other level of familiarity that Stiles had been certain he would never see either participate in. 

He was just about to say something when Derek noticed him and levelled a death glare towards his direction. And- well, no matter what some people may say, Stiles didn’t have a death wish. And to embarrass two of the most murder-happy people in the room? 

That could only end in tears. 

So, with a cheeky smile- he wasn’t about to take this lying down after all, he sat back and became once again consumed within the mindless violence on screen.

* * *

By the end of the movie, Stiles and Derek were the last ones standing. The week had been an eventful one in terms of training, even the human members had been involved- and as such everyone was exhausted, including the pair of them. But where Stiles was still awake because the possibility of seeing a softer Derek was too amazing to give up, he was pretty sure that Derek was only awake out of pure spite.

Isaac was still attached to Derek like a limpet, and the sight of it was so uncharacteristic for the both of them, that Stiles couldn’t not say something. Keeping his voice low, so as not to disturb the others, he nodded his head at Isaac sprawled across Derek’s chest and said, “think you got something on you there, Sour Wolf.” 

In the soft darkness of the room, things didn't seem so daunting to talk about. And Stiles could only assume that Derek felt the same, for instead of telling him to fuck off as he usually would, he just chuckled and said; 

"I think it's a safety thing."

"Hm?"

"For Isaac," he clarified, "his wolf views me as protection, and because of that, he sleeps better when I'm nearby."

Stiles snorted softly, "I think it's more than just his wolf that feels that way. The dude would follow you anywhere. I think he would quite literally jump off a cliff if you asked him too."

Derek just hummed in reply, casting a soft glance down at the sleeping teen. 

Before tonight, Stiles would’ve laughed at anyone who tried to describe any part of Derek soft- the man was made up entirely of hard lines. But now, looking at the scene in front of him, no other word came to mind. 

He was _soft_.

“He shouldn’t.”

Derek’s words filtered through his bewildered subconscious and grabbed Stiles’ attention once again. 

“What?”

Derek sighed sadly, before expanding his previous statement, “he shouldn’t feel protected around me.” 

Stiles frowned, “why not? You saved him.”

“Yeah, but that was for myself.” Derek explained, his voice dark with self-loathing, “I didn’t do it for him.” 

“You still took him out of an abusive situation.” Stiles convinced, though he knew he was fighting a losing battle. As much as he deserved condemnation for some of his actions, Derek took the guilt way too far sometimes. But that wouldn’t stop Stiles from trying, “I don’t think your intentions mattered that much to him, dude. Just the fact that he had another place to go.”

“Oh right.” Derek snorted sarcastically, “you mean when he exchanged one abusive situation for another?”

That gave Stiles a pause. He knew that Derek had been much more of a hard-ass when he had been creating his new pack, but to describe his actions as abusive? 

“I wouldn’t go that far. I mean you’re a Sour Wolf, no denying that, but you’re nothing like his dad.” 

“You know I snapped his arm once?” Derek asked. His voice was as even and calm as it would have been had he simply been talking about something as mundane as the weather. “All he did was ask if training was over and complain a little about his injuries.” 

Stiles couldn’t help but tense a little at the thoughts that Derek’s words provoked and only relaxed slightly when he saw Derek gently stroke Isaac’s arm. 

_Guilt_. Stiles thought, _there’s clear evidence of guilt. That’s good, right?_

They had all done things they weren’t proud of, and yeah, maybe this was more extreme. But Derek didn’t look as though he was going to repeat said actions any time soon. 

Of course, any other situation and Stiles would be straight out of there, Isaac safely in tow. But they were dealing with werewolves, and that came with different expectations and needs. Stiles knew he would never be able to truly understand it, but he supposed that he could allow this to remain in the past. 

Just as long as the past _stayed the past_. He wouldn’t allow for any repeats.

But it appeared that Derek wasn’t done, as before Stiles could tell him any of that, he continued his guilt-filled confession, “I took in an abused kid and didn’t change a thing about my attitude even though I knew it was triggering.” 

Derek took a shaky breath, _and yeah, that was totally guilt_ , before ending his speech with, “I then snapped his arm when all he did was act his age. That was only one of many injuries, too. So, no. I don’t think I’m wrong to say that someone would be better suited to protect him than me.” 

Which- “Okay.” That was definitely worse than he had first thought and suddenly things seemed to make so much more sense, “I don’t know how to reply to that.” 

Though after his transformation Boyd didn’t change too much, Erica and Isaac certainly did. They had once been two of the quietest students, and prior to this whole werewolf nonsense, Stiles had barely known that they existed. 

Their almost 180 change in behaviour now seemed a hell of a lot more plausible. Sudden power combined with a new mentor who used both physical and emotional violence against them? He could definitely understand that more than when it had simply been them being dicks for the sake of it. 

Stiles, as much as he butts heads with Isaac, knew that the younger teen was a sweet and caring person at his core. He had just suffered through so much abuse and hardship throughout his life that it manifested into anger. 

The anger which then became a defensive weapon in which to wield against those who could potentially harm him. 

And when he thought about it now, Isaac gravitating towards Scott made more sense now too. It hurt to think about, but Scott was probably the first person in a while who had actually showed genuine care for the teen. 

Had shown him kindness when everyone else showed him pain.

Suddenly, Stiles no longer felt so jealous about Isaac encroaching upon his friendship with Scott. Sharing his best friend didn’t seem so bad if it meant that Isaac had a safety net for when Derek inevitably messed up again.

And yeah, maybe that wasn’t the nicest way to think about a friend, but Stiles _knew_ Derek. 

As much as he cared for him, Derek had his own way of acting that tended to put others through pain ‘for their own good’. Being one of the only people bull-headed enough to not take any of Derek’s shit, Stiles was working to change that. 

But he was only one person.

It would probably be years, if ever, before Derek started to trust others. To trust them to both not hurt him, and to protect themselves. For Derek to _tell them_ when something was going on.

 _But still,_ he thought, watching the pair in front of him, _this was a start_. 

And yet- “werewolf healing or not, that’s not right.” 

He _needed_ to know that Derek knew that. 

He needed to know that Derek knew not to injure his pack full of broken people just because they would physically heal much faster than a human. 

Maybe a born werewolf was different, and had different standards for what qualified as teaching versus abuse. But these people were human not too long ago, and they would always have the experiences and life lessons of a human.

Derek needed to realise that he had to use gentler means.

After all, that was the main reason why Scott refused to be in his pack. Derek didn’t understand his human desires or expectations, and had no desire to listen when Scott tried to explain them. 

But he needed to learn. Especially now that he had someone that relied entirely on him. 

That was the crux of the issue, after all. Everyone else had families to go home to, and a support system outside of this harsher world. 

But not Isaac. 

Isaac had no one. Not really. 

Erica and Boyd would always choose each other over him, and until recently, it appeared as though Derek would sooner break a bone than show he cared. Even Scott’s friendship was a recent endeavour, and despite the jealousy that filled him, Stiles knew that Scott, at least for the moment, would always choose him first too. 

Isaac needed someone to put him first. 

Isaac needed _Derek_ to put him first. 

He just didn’t know how to convey that to Derek without the older man growing defensive. 

However, luckily it seemed he didn’t have to. For when Derek replied, “I know,” he seemed to be acknowledging a lot more than Stiles’ last comment. The weight in which he delivered the two words seemed to be answering Stiles’ very _thoughts_. 

And yet, Stiles still had to check. “You _have_ changed, right? No more arm snapping or temper tantrums from you?” 

Despite how much he was certain that Derek _had_ understood everything unspoken between them, he needed the verbal confirmation. No amount of werewolf strength or weird soft behaviour could stop Stiles from grabbing the other teen if Derek’s answer proved to be negative.

He didn’t want any of this to be misunderstood. 

So, when Derek replied with a simple, “no. No more arm snapping,” before sinking back into the couch with Isaac still held securely in his arms, Stiles breathed a sigh of relief. 

Serious conversations were not his forte, and yet this needed to be done. He _needed_ to know that things were going to get better. That he could leave this loft and know that both of them were going to be okay. And yet, from the look of things, better was an understatement. 

The only way was up, and it seemed as though height wasn’t an issue for either of them, for they were soaring.


End file.
